Gerald D'Cunha

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” - Helen Keller L et me clarify my position right at the start, here: I am not writing this Post as a supporter of Congress Party or its President, Mr. Rahul Gandhi. As I have told many times before, I keep party politics and hardcore religion at bay. Particularly, if my writing is going to poison the minds around me… If it is going to divide and polarize. I have been observing Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s political growth just as any of you would – reading about him, watching videos of his speeches and interviews, listening to people debate about him And, what had shocked me, always, was how systematically and relentlessly he was made to look like a joker, an idiot… a ‘Pappu’… and so on. What is even more shocking was this: most of my friends around me would think and believe so… would ...

Pic.: Azriel D'Souza Y ears ago, when I had decided to do something about my poor English, one of the things I did – and found it very useful – was telling a nice story in two tenses… Past and Present. Over the years, I have helped hundreds of people who were earnest to improve their English with the same method… Yes, write a nice story down in both the tenses… and tell it to someone. This story was there in our school text-book. Over the years, I have come across various versions of this story… and, each version makes it only more meaningful… THE BLIND-MAN AND HIS LANTERN PAST: O nce,   a blind-man had been to another town to visit his friend. Late that evening, when the blind-man was ready to leave, his friend lit a lantern and handed it over to the blind-man, saying, “My friend, soon it will be dark outside; please carry this lantern along.” The blind-man was amused. “I am a blind-man, my dear friend,” he laughed at the suggestio...

Pic.: Mini Milind Y ears ago, when I had decided to do something about my poor English, one of the things I did – and found very effective – was telling a nice story in two tenses… the Present and the Past. Over the years, I have helped hundreds of people, who were earnest about improving their English, with the same method… Yes, write a nice story down in both the tenses… and, then, tell it to someone… I had first come across this story in our primary school text-book. Decades have rolled by and I still find myself doing what each of these six blind-men did… the elephant experience! THE ELEPHANT  EXPERIENCE PAST: T here   lived six blind men in a village. They hadn’t seen an elephant in their life. So, one day, when someone said there was an elephant in the village, the six blind men wanted to have an experience of it. “Hey, the elephant is like a huge pillar,” said the first blind man. He had touched the leg of the elephant....

Pic.: Mini Milind Y ears ago, when I had decided to do something about my poor English, one of the things I did – and found very effective – was telling a nice story in two tenses… the Present and the Past. Over the years, I have helped hundreds of people, who were earnest about improving their English, with the same method… Yes, write a nice story down in both the tenses… and, then, tell it to someone… I had first come across this story in our primary school text-book. Decades have rolled by and I still find myself doing what each of these six blind-men did… the elephant experience! THE ELEPHANT  EXPERIENCE PAST: T here   lived six blind men in a village. They hadn’t seen an elephant in their life. So, one day, when someone said there was an elephant in the village, the six blind men wanted to have an experience of it. “Hey, the elephant is like a huge pillar,” said the first blind man. He had touched the leg of the elephant....

Pic. : Anima D'Cunha “W hen  you judge others, you do not define them,” said Earl Nightingale, “You define yourself.” Honestly, how much do I know about another person’s life? Then, what business do I got to judge him? Invariably, the tendency to judge others, at the drop of a hat, comes from some deep insecurity in us… rather, some deeply-rooted ignorance… It is a habit, and, if not curbed in time, it does become our character… Therefore, the opening line: “When you judge others, you do not define them… You define yourself.” Yes, it reveals more about youself… about your ignorance, your insecurity… Your immaturity. In the PD session, last evening, Shreeshay narrated this popular story… A twenty-four-year-old young-man was travelling in a train. Looking out of the window, he cried excitedly, “Dad, dad, look… the trees are going behind us.”  The father smiled at his young son and said, “Is it not amazing, son?” ...

Pic .: Malabika Ganguly “All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” Havelock Ellis   O nce, the fishermen in a village had just returned after their daily catch. As they were busy sorting out the fishes, a Kite swooped down from the blue sky, caught a small fish by the beak, and shot up into the skies. Immediately, a hundred crows appeared from nowhere and began to chase the Kite, making a crazy commotion in the sky... To whichever direction the Kite flew, the crows followed it.... Kite flew West, crows did, too... Kite flew East, the crows did, too... Kite zoomed high up, the crows did, too... The Kite dived deep, the crows did, too... Finally, the Kite, tired and frustrated, could fly no more... So, it decided to drop the fish... The moment the fish was dropped, the crows left the Kite alone, and went after the falling fish! The Kite quietly settled down on the branch of a nearby tree... From there, watching the insane ...

Most of us have heard this story in our school days. There was this blind man. Whenever he had to go out in the night, he would always carry with him a lantern. This would leave the onlookers puzzled. One day, a group of young- men looked at this strange sight and tried to poke fun at the blind-man. “You are anyway blind and can't see anything,” they chided, “Whom are you carrying your lantern for?” “I am carrying it for you, my friends,” the blind-man replied; “It may help you see a blind-man walking in the darkness!” “Because, the streets are filled with idiots.” This is the message of the popular ad from CEAT-tyres. A young-man is walking in a busy, traffic-infested street. He is lost in his own world – with his right hand, he is driving the pram… A little baby is inside it…His left hand has pressed a cell-phone to his ear and he is lost in talking… completely blind to the reality around him… He elbows out walker-byes, blind and in...

There is an old Chinese proverb: “Of all the war strategies, to know when to quit is the best.” Now, read it again… It says ‘When to quit’… and, not ‘How to quit’. We hail young Abhimanyu as a brave warrior. According to the legend, he learnt about the warfare of Chakravyuh – its formation, how to get into it and penetrate it - while he was still in his mother Subhadra’s womb! Arjuna, his father, would discuss about this war secret with his wife and the unborn Abhimanyu would learn it so early… Yes, that’s how the legend goes. However, as Arjuna had to leave, he could not complete the most important part of the warfare of Chakravyuh: How to quit it. So, when it was time, the young-warrior, Abhimanyu, enters the Labyrinth brilliantly… But, alas, only to get ambushed by his enemies inside! Ever since this great battle of Mahabharata, we have come to believe that to win Life’s battles, we need to know not only how to enter our ...